Farnbacher, Acura Prove Pace at Watkins Glen
• Mario Farnbacher, Acura star at Watkins Glen Pirelli World Challenge doubleheader
• Acura NSX GT3 starts second, sets fastest lap on Sunday
• Contact ends Sunday run; tire issue disrupts Saturday’s race
WATKINS GLEN, NY (Sept. 2, 2018) – The Acura NSX GT3 demonstrated its speed and potential in its return to Pirelli World Challenge competition this weekend at Watkins Glen International Raceway.
Driven by Mario Farnbacher and fielded by a composite effort including the Honda of America Racing Team (HART), RealTime Racing and Meyer Shank Racing, the #93 Acura proved to be quick and competitive in both halves of the doubleheader race weekend.
Starting seventh in Saturday’s opening 50-minute race, Farnbacher ran well until a cut tire forced him to pit for a replacement with approximately 15 minutes remaining. Returning to the track, Farnbacher set the second-fastest race lap, earning him a starting position on the outside of the front row, second, for Sunday’s finale.
Expectations were high for Sunday’s finale, but contact in the first turn by the Ferrari of Daniel Mancinelli resulted in Farnbacher spinning to the rear of the field. As in Saturday’s race, Farnbacher made a strong recovery, this time setting fastest race lap before having to retire due to a clutch issue resulting from the first-lap contact.
The Watkins Glen event marked the return of Acura to the World Challenge GT category for the first time since the end of the 2017 season. In IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition, the NSX GT3 has scored one win and seven podium finishes in 10 races this season. The NSX GT3 also proven to be competitive at the 24 Hours of Spa in the Pro/Am category, and a strong, top-10 result at the Nurburgring – with a Junior driver lineup – in the ultra-competitive ADAC GT Masters series in Germany
Quotes
Mario Farnbacher (#93 HART/RealTime Racing Acura NSX GT3): “From the opening practice and in each session, we made the car faster and more drive-able. Every change helped. In the first race, the Acura was really fast in clean air and we had a good shot [at a podium finish]. But we had a puncture in the left rear and had to pit. In the second race, I defended a little bit as we headed into Turn One, but I got a big hit in the right rear. That forced me into a spin and I lost a lot of ground. We still came back to set fastest race lap. Even if the results this weekend we not the best, I think we proved the car is really quick and has lots of potential as well.”
Lee Niffenegger (Acura NSX GT3 program manager, Honda Performance Development): “While we didn’t get a result, we still accomplished our mission this weekend. We were able to show the NSX GT3 to several prospective customers, and show that the car is clearly competitive in the SRO BoP. We had the second fastest lap in Race 1 and scored the fastest lap of Race 2 even after being on the receiving end of contact from a competitor. This was a good demonstration of the capabilities of the car. Unfortunately, the car eventually developed a problem as a result of the contact. We did the safe thing and retired the car. A huge ‘hats off’ to Mario Farnbacher, for his performance this weekend and making everyone involved proud of what was otherwise a tough return to the Pirelli World Challenge.”